126 Dissidents in Britain (Five Hundred 10)

Restitutio

Learn about the dissident groups in Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries, including the Puritans, Baptists, Quakers, and Unitarians. In addition, Sean Kelly presents a vignette of John Biddle’s life and influence.

This is lecture 10 of a history of Christianity class called Five Hundred: From Martin Luther to Joel Osteen.

All the notes are available here as a pdf.

—— Notes ——

Puritans

• Robert Browne (1550-1633)
• Treatise of Reformation without Tarrying for Any, and of the Wickedness of those Preachers which will not Reform…till the Magistrate Command and Compel Them
• Reformation needed to take place whether or not the king wanted it or not
• Congressionalist rather than Presbyterian
• A group of Dutch Brownists were the ones who came to the New World in 1620s

English Baptists

• Not related to continental Anabaptists
• Founded by John Smyth in 1609, an Englishman from Cambridge who fled to Amsterdam
• General [Arminian] vs. Particular [Calvinist] are two types of Baptists
• Reject role of the state in matters of conscience (church should be independent of the state)
• John Bunyan (1628-88), Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666)
  • Wrote autobiography Grace Abounding to Chief of Sinners
  • Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), second part appeared in 1684
• Roger Williams (1603?-1683) brought Baptist faith to America

Quakers (“Society of Friends”)

• Founded by George Fox (1624-1691)
• “Inner Light” written in 1647: The word of God is not confined to the Bible but rather came directly to each person (inner light or inner voice)
• He rejected social distinctions, allowed women to preach
• Pacifists and egalitarians (worked against slavery in the US using underground railway)
• No sacraments at all b/c they were physical
• Total silence during meetings until someone is inspired to speak

British Unitarians

• John Biddle (1615-1662), the father of English Unitarianism
  • brilliant man
    • 1634 his anthology he published his translations from classics into English
    • at university he “outran his instructors and became tutor to himself” (Protesters, 131)
    • 1634 he went to Magdalen Hall at Oxford
    • 1641 he was headmaster of the Crypt Grammar School in Gloucester
    • immersed himself in Scripture for years
    • knew entire NT by heart in English and most in Greek, though about Rev. 4 his memory got fuzzy
  • claimed he never read Socinian literature before coming to his own opinions
  • wrote a pamphlet, Twelve Arguments against the Deity of the Holy Spirit
  • 1646 summoned to London’s parliament and imprisoned for 5 years
  • 1648 Publishes two anti-Trinitarian documents
    • A Confession of Faith Toughing the Holy Trinity According to Scripture
    • The Testimonies of Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Novatianus, Theophilus, Origen. As Also of Arnobius, Lactanius, Easebius, Hilary and Brightman Concerning the One God and the Persons of the Holy Trinity
  • 1652 Biddle released and remained in London where he found fellowship
  • 1654 Biddle published his Twofold Catechism
  • when Oliver Cromwell got in power Biddle was released
  • returned to quiet active work in a church
  • two months later he was imprisoned in Newgate prison
  • remained at St Mary’s for 3 years<